Václav Martínek

Environmental Pollutant and Potent Mutagen 3-Nitrobenzanthrone Forms DNA Adducts after Reduction by NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase and Conjugation by Acetyltransferases and Sulfotransferases in Human Hepatic Cytosols

3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-nitro-7H-benz[de]anthracen-7-one, 3-NBA) is a potent mutagen and suspected human carcinogen identified in diesel exhaust and air pollution. We compared the ability of human hepatic cytosolic samples to catalyze DNA adduct formation by 3-NBA. Using the (32)P-postlabeling method, we found that 12/12 hepatic cytosols activated 3-NBA to form multiple DNA adducts similar to those formed in vivo in rodents. By comparing 3-NBA-DNA adduct formation in the presence of cofactors of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) and xanthine oxidase, most of the reductive activation of 3-NBA in human hepatic cytosols was attributed to NQO1. Inhibition of adduct formation by dicoumarol, an NQO1 inhibitor, supported this finding and was confirmed with human recombinant NQO1. When cofactors of N,O-acetyltransferases (NAT) and sulfotransferases (SULT) were added to cytosolic samples, 3-NBA-DNA adduct formation increased 10- to 35-fold. Using human recombinant NQO1 and NATs or SULTs, we found that mainly NAT2, followed by SULT1A2, NAT1, and, to a lesser extent, SULT1A1 activate 3-NBA. We also evaluated the role of hepatic NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) in the activation of 3-NBA in vivo by treating hepatic POR-null mice and wild-type littermates i.p. with 0.2 or 2 mg/kg body weight of 3-NBA. No difference in DNA binding was found in any tissue examined (liver, lung, kidney, bladder, and colon) between null and wild-type mice, indicating that 3-NBA is predominantly activated by cytosolic nitroreductases rather than microsomal POR. Collectively, these results show the role of human hepatic NQO1 to reduce 3-NBA to species being further activated by NATs and SULTs.

The mechanism of cytotoxicity and DNA adduct formation by the anticancer drug ellipticine in human neuroblastoma cells

Ellipticine is an antineoplastic agent, whose mode of action is based mainly on DNA intercalation, inhibition of topoisomerase II and formation of covalent DNA adducts mediated by cytochromes P450 and peroxidases. Here, the molecular mechanism of DNA-mediated ellipticine action in human neuroblastoma IMR-32, UKF-NB-3 and UKF-NB-4 cancer cell lines was investigated. Treatment of neuroblastoma cells with ellipticine resulted in apoptosis induction, which was verified by the appearance of DNA fragmentation, and in inhibition of cell growth. These effects were associated with formation of two covalent ellipticine-derived DNA adducts, identical to those formed by the cytochrome P450- and peroxidase-mediated ellipticine metabolites, 13-hydroxy- and 12-hydroxyellipticine. The expression of these enzymes at mRNA and protein levels and their ability to generate ellipticine-DNA adducts in neuroblastoma cells were proven, using the real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting analyses and by analyzing ellipticine-DNA adducts in incubations of this drug with neuroblastoma S9 fractions, enzyme cofactors and DNA. The levels of DNA adducts correlated with toxicity of ellipticine to IMR-32 and UKF-NB-4 cells, but not with that to UKF-NB-3 cells. In addition, hypoxic cell culture conditions resulted in a decrease in ellipticine toxicity to IMR-32 and UKF-NB-4 cells and this correlated with lower levels of DNA adducts. Both these cell lines accumulated in S phase, suggesting that ellipticine-DNA adducts interfere with DNA replication. The results demonstrate that among the multiple modes of ellipticine antitumor action, formation of covalent DNA adducts by ellipticine is the predominant mechanism of cytotoxicity to IMR-32 and UKF-NB-4 neuroblastoma cells.

The human carcinogen aristolochic acid i is activated to form DNA adducts by human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase without the contribution of acetyltransferases or sulfotransferases

Ingestion of aristolochic acid (AA) is associated with development of urothelial tumors linked with AA nephropathy and is implicated in the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy‐associated urothelial tumors. We investigated the efficiency of human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) to activate aristolochic acid I (AAI) and used in silico docking, using soft–soft (flexible) docking procedure, to study the interactions of AAI with the active site of human NQO1. AAI binds to the active site of NQO1 indicating that the binding orientation allows for direct hydride transfer (i.e., two electron reductions) to the nitro group of AAI. NQO1 activated AAI, generating DNA adduct patterns reproducing those found in urothelial tissues from humans exposed to AA. Because reduced aromatic nitro‐compounds are often further activated by sulfotransferases (SULTs) or N,O‐acetlytransferases (NATs), their roles in AAI activation were investigated. Our results indicate that phase II reactions do not play a major role in AAI bioactivation; neither native enzymes present in human hepatic or renal cytosols nor human SULT1A1, ‐1A2, ‐1A3, ‐1E, or ‐2A nor NAT1 or NAT2 further enhanced DNA adduct formation by AAI. Instead under the in vitro conditions used, DNA adducts arise by enzymatic reduction of AAI through the formation of a cyclic hydroxamic acid (N‐hydroxyaristolactam I) favored by the carboxy group in peri position to the nitro group without additional conjugation. These results emphasize the major importance of NQO1 in the metabolic activation of AAI and provide the first evidence that initial nitroreduction is the rate limiting step in AAI activation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2011.

Cytochrome b5 shifts oxidation of the anticancer drug ellipticine by cytochromes P450 1A1 and 1A2 from its detoxication to activation, thereby modulating its pharmacological efficacy

Ellipticine is a pro-drug, whose activation is dependent on its oxidation by cytochromes P450 (CYP) and peroxidases. Cytochrome b(5) alters the ratio of ellipticine metabolites formed by isolated reconstituted CYP1A1 and 1A2, favoring formation of 12-hydroxy- and 13-hydroxyellipticine metabolites implicated in ellipticine-DNA adduct formation, at the expense of 9-hydroxy- and 7-hydroxyellipticine that are detoxication products. Cytochrome b(5) enhances the production of 12-hydroxy and 13-hydroxyellipticine. The change in metabolite ratio results in an increased formation of covalent ellipticine-DNA adducts, one of the DNA-damaging mechanisms of ellipticine antitumor action. This finding explains previous apparent discrepancies found with isolated enzymes and in vivo, where CYP1A enzymatic activation correlated with ellipticine-DNA-adduct levels while isolated CYP1A1 or 1A2 in reconstituted systems were much less effective than CYP3A4. The effect of cytochrome b(5) might be even more pronounced in vivo, since, as we show here, ellipticine increases levels of cytochrome b(5) in rat liver. Our results demonstrate that both the native 3D structure of cytochrome b(5) and the presence of the heme as an electron transfer agent in this protein enable a shift in ellipticine metabolites formed by CYP1A1/2.

Mechanisms of the Different DNA Adduct Forming Potentials of the Urban Air Pollutants 2-Nitrobenzanthrone and Carcinogenic 3-Nitrobenzanthrone

2-Nitrobenzanthrone (2-NBA) has recently been detected in ambient air particulate matter. Its isomer 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) is a potent mutagen and suspected human carcinogen identified in diesel exhaust. We compared the efficiencies of human enzymatic systems [hepatic microsomes and cytosols, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), xanthine oxidase, NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase, N,O-acetyltransferases, and sulfotransferases] and human primary hepatocytes to activate 2-NBA and its isomer 3-NBA to species forming DNA adducts. In contrast to 3-NBA, 2-NBA was not metabolized at detectable levels by the tested human enzymatic systems and enzymes expressed in human hepatocytes, and no DNA adducts detectable by (32)P-postlabeling were generated by 2-NBA. Even NQO1, the most efficient human enzyme to bioactive 3-NBA, did not activate 2-NBA. Molecular docking of 2-NBA and 3-NBA to the active site of NQO1 showed similar binding affinities; however, the binding orientation of 2-NBA does not favor the reduction of the nitro group. This was in line with the inhibition of 3-NBA-DNA adduct formation by 2-NBA, indicating that 2-NBA can compete with 3-NBA for binding to NQO1, thereby decreasing the metabolic activation of 3-NBA. In addition, the predicted equilibrium conditions favor a 3 orders of magnitude higher dissociation of N-OH-3-ABA in comparison to N-OH-2-ABA. These findings explain the very different genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and DNA adduct forming potential of the two compounds. Collectively, our results suggest that 2-NBA possesses a relatively lower risk to humans than 3-NBA.

Enzymes Metabolizing Aristolochic Acid and their Contribution to the Development of Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy and Urothelial Cancer

Aristolochic acid (AA), a plant nephrotoxin and carcinogen, causes aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) and its associated urothelial malignancy, and is hypothesized to be responsible for Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). The major component of AA, aristolochic acid I (AAI), is the predominant compound responsible for these diseases. The reductive activation of AAI leads to the formation of covalent DNA adducts. The most abundant DNA adduct, 7-(deoxyadenosin-N6-yl)aristolactam I, causes characteristic AT→TA transversions found in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene in tumors from AAN and BEN patients. Understanding which human enzymes are involved in AAI activation to species forming DNA adducts and/or detoxication to the AAI O-demethylated metabolite, aristolochic acid Ia (AAIa), is important in the assessment of the susceptibility to this carcinogen. This review summarizes the latest data on identifying human and rodent enzymes participating in AAI metabolism. NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) is the most efficient cytosolic nitroreductase activating AAI in vitro and in vivo. In human hepatic microsomes, AAI is activated by cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) and, to a lesser extent, by CYP1A1; NADPH:CYP oxidoreductase also plays a minor role. Human and rodent CYP1A1 and 1A2 are also the principal enzymes involved in oxidative detoxication of AAI to AAIa in vitro and in vivo. The orientation of AAI in the active sites of human CYP1A1/2 and NQO1 was predicted from molecular modeling and is consistent with the efficient reduction of AAI by them observed experimentally. Molecular modeling also shows why CYP1A2 plays an important role in the oxidation of AAI to AAIa.

Mechanisms of Enzyme-Catalyzed Reduction of Two Carcinogenic Nitro-Aromatics, 3-Nitrobenzanthrone and Aristolochic Acid I: Experimental and Theoretical Approaches

This review summarizes the results found in studies investigating the enzymatic activation of two genotoxic nitro-aromatics, an environmental pollutant and carcinogen 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) and a natural plant nephrotoxin and carcinogen aristolochic acid I (AAI), to reactive species forming covalent DNA adducts. Experimental and theoretical approaches determined the reasons why human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) and cytochromes P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1A2 have the potential to reductively activate both nitro-aromatics. The results also contributed to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of these reactions. The contribution of conjugation enzymes such as N,O-acetyltransferases (NATs) and sulfotransferases (SULTs) to the activation of 3-NBA and AAI was also examined. The results indicated differences in the abilities of 3-NBA and AAI metabolites to be further activated by these conjugation enzymes. The formation of DNA adducts generated by both carcinogens during their reductive activation by the NOQ1 and CYP1A1/2 enzymes was investigated with pure enzymes, enzymes present in subcellular cytosolic and microsomal fractions, selective inhibitors, and animal models (including knock-out and humanized animals). For the theoretical approaches, flexible in silico docking methods as well as ab initio calculations were employed. The results summarized in this review demonstrate that a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches is a useful tool to study the enzyme-mediated reaction mechanisms of 3-NBA and AAI reduction.

Mutagenic potential of nitrenium ions of nitrobenzanthrones: correlation between theory and experiment.

The mutagenic activity of nine substituted nitrobenzanthrone (NBA) derivatives was recently established in the Ames assay and ranged from near inactivity to extremely high mutagenic activity (Takamura‐Enya et al. 2006 : Mutagenesis 21:399–404). Using thermochemical and molecular modeling techniques, the activation pathway of these NBA derivatives, namely 1‐nitro‐, 2‐nitro‐, 3‐nitro‐, 9‐nitro‐, 11‐nitro‐, 1,9‐dinitro‐, 3,9‐dinitro‐, 3,11‐dinitro‐, and 3,9,11‐trinitrobenzanthrone, and the formation of the corresponding aryl‐nitrenium ions, were investigated using density functional theory calculations. The calculated properties of the NBA derivatives were systematically compared with their bacterial mutagenic potency. Accommodation of the ligand substrates into the binding pocket of the bacterial nitroreductases was not sterically inhibited for the NBAs. Moreover, electron affinities, water elimination energies, esterification, and solvolysis energies did not reveal any possible links with the observed mutagenic potency of the NBAs. However, a strong negative linear correlation was found when the relative energies of the nitrenium ions of the mono and disubstituted NBAs were plotted against the logarithm of the mutagenic potency of the NBAs found in the different Salmonella typhimurium strains. Therefore, our data clearly indicate that the stability of the nitrenium ions is one critical determinant of the mutagenic potency of NBAs in Salmonella tester strains. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2008.

Induced Expression of Cytochrome P450 1A and NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase Determined at mRNA, Protein, and Enzyme Activity Levels in Rats Exposed to the Carcinogenic Azo Dye 1-Phenylazo-2-naphthol (Sudan I)

Sudan I (1-phenylazo-2-hydroxynaphthol) is a suspected human carcinogen causing tumors in the livers and urinary bladders of rats, mice, and rabbits. Here, we investigated for the first time the influence of Sudan I exposure on the expression of several biotransformation enzymes in the livers, kidneys, and lungs of rats concomitantly at the mRNA and protein levels and assayed their enzymatic activities. We also studied its effect on the formation of Sudan I-derived DNA adducts in vitro. Sudan I increased the total amounts of cytochrome P450 (P450) in all organs tested. Western blots using antibodies raised against various P450s, NADPH:P450 reductase, and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) showed that the expression of P450 1A1 and NQO1 was induced in the liver, kidney, and lung of rats treated with Sudan I. The higher protein levels correlated with increased enzyme activities of P450 1A1/2 and NQO1. Furthermore, 9.9-, 5.9-, and 2.8-fold increases in the formation of Sudan I oxidative metabolites catalyzed by microsomes isolated from the liver, kidney, and lung, respectively, of rats treated with Sudan I were found. The relative amounts of P450 1A and NQO1 mRNA, measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, demonstrated that Sudan I induced the expression of P450 1A1 and NQO1 mRNA in the liver, kidney, and lung, and of P450 1A2 mRNA in kidney and lung. Finally, microsomes isolated from livers, kidneys, and lungs of Sudan I exposed rats more effectively catalyzed the formation of Sudan I-DNA adducts than microsomes from organs of control rats. This was attributable to the higher P450 1A1 expression. Because P450 1A1 is playing a major role in the bioactivation of Sudan I in rat and human systems, its induction by Sudan I may have a profound effect on cancer risk by this azo dye. In addition, the induction of P450 1A1/2 and NQO1 enzymes can influence individual human susceptibility to other environmental carcinogens and have an effect on cancer risk.

Glycosylation Protects Proteins against Free Radicals Generated from Toxic Xenobiotics

Free radicals generated during peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of two xenobiotics, carcinogenic Sudan I and an anticancer agent ellipticine, easily attack unmodified proteins but not glycoproteins. A significant inverse correlation between the extent of glycosylation of proteins and the degree of binding of Sudan I or ellipticine radicals to these proteins was observed, whereby the protection only occurs if oligosaccharides are covalently bound to the proteins. No influence of any other variables was found and further confirmed by experiments with proteins containing identical polypeptide chains differing only by the absence (ribonuclease A) or the presence (ribonuclease B) of a single oligosaccharide. The free radicals that are subject of this study did not react with the oligosaccharides because higher levels of the corresponding dimers, reaction products of the radicals, were found in presence of highly glycosylated proteins. The results indicate that carbohydrates protect polypeptides against modification by free radicals derived from toxic xenobiotics and provide passive shielding of the protein moiety.